Apparatus for taking flash light pictures



April 9, 1935. M. SCHWARTZ 1,997,315

APPARATUS FOR TAKING FLASH LIGHT- PICTURES Fil ed Feb. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 41k}; 63 3 %AVTJ"ORNIEY.

April 9,1935. M. SCHWARTZ APPARATUS FOR TAKING FLASH LIGHT PICTURES Filed Feb. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1935 3,997,315

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mam'rus ro gzgmsnucm MOI'rl880hmBl'00mN.Y.

4 Claims. (01. 67-29) This invention relates to apparatus for taking Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical flashlight pictures. circuit for my apparatus;

An object of this invention is to provide ap- Fig. 6 is a top plan view of my improved reparatus of the character described, having highly flector showing the same in unfolded position;

5 improved and novel means for simultaneously Fig. '7 is an end view of the battery casing and 5 flashing a flashlamp and actuating a camera fiashlamp with the reflector in position for use; shutter whereby the shutter will be open suband stantially for the same small period of time dur- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a package eming which the flashlamp is illuminated. bodying the invention for shipping and storing 10 Another object of this invention is to provide in the flashlamp an y improved reflector- 10 apparatus of the character described, a highly Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 improved reflector for the flashlamp, the same designates a photographic camera which may be being adapted to be folded and placed within the of any suitable construction, for example, of the usual tubular shipping container for the lamp, kedak typ f ta Snapshots h like D and being easy t l t simple and cheap tures, and having a lens shutter H adapted to be 5 in construction, and extremely light in weight p n for a Small per d O t e, for example 1/25 t permit t same t be easily can-led by the or 1/50 of a second and automatically closed. The photographer camera in and shutter I I may be of any suitable A further bject, of t ti i t construction, since any camera now in use may be vide comparatively simple and compact apparatus pl in making app a embodying y 20 of the character described, which shall comprise VentlOIl. T0 this y pp at C n s relatively few and simple parts, easy to set up erally 0f the Camera to and a casing housing and manipulate, which shall be comparatively inone or more dry cells or batteries i3 for energizing expensive to manufacture, easy to carry, store and an eleetl'ie fieshlamp ship, and which shall yet be smooth and positive The easing y c p se tubular sections 25 in operation, safe and clean in use and practical I5 end Screwed her as at 51. One oi and m t t a high degree, said sections l6 may be provided with an end.

Other objects of this invention will in part Wall avin an utwardly xtendin screw be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. aded p o e io i9 formed with a central.

39 The invention accordingly consists in the fea- Opening SereWed attached in y Other tures of construction, combinations of elements, Suitable manner, W hin i p nin 0 n proand arrangement of parts which will be exemplijecting outwardly therefrom, is a member 22 of fled in the construction hereinafter described, insulating material and having a annular metal and of which the scope of application will be indiband thereon, p d om the Screw threadcated in the following claims. d t o Said port on 9 ay e e ed 35 Certain features including the flexible reflector t lflsual lntemalty Screw hreaded member and container therefor shown, described and 'pmvlded in the slde Wall 25 of the Cameraclaimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. for mounting the casing 0n h camera. 505,316,111 December 29th 193018.re Shown and Most cameras now in use, are provided with 40 described but not claimed in this application screw threadedmembers 24 for mounting the 40 In the accompanying drawings; in which is 2. tmfgod and hgmze said member 24 shown one of the various possible illustrative emg fi or g g casmg on bodiments of this invention, i 1 1:3 t 11 1 1 mem- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a camera y e o e e o 6 era wall 25 and insulated therefrom as at 21, provided with apparatus embodying the mven said terminal being provided with a spring con- 45 tion; tant portion 28 adapted to contact the annular Fig. 2 is an elevational, cross-Sectional View Of band 23 upon attaching the casing to the cama portion of the camera and the accessaries era, for the purpose hereinafter described. therefor; Another metal terminal member 29 may be 50 Fi 3 i n enlarged, detail axial MOSS-Sectional fixed to the inside of the camera wall 25 in con- VieW Of y p d Sw tch forming part of the tact with the internally screw threaded portion apparatus embodying my invention; 24, likewise insulated as at 30 from said-wall Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line for the purpose described below. 4-4 of Fig. 3; Means is provided for electrically connecting the fiashlamp i l to the terminal members 26 and 29. To this end, there is mounted on the casing portion 55, and insulated therefrom, a screw threaded socket shell 35 preferably disposed at right angles to the axis of said casing i2. Said. shell may be provided with the usual central contact 36 adapted to be electrically connected to, a iixed terminal piece 3?, by means of a snap switch 38 of usual construction, the latter being adapted to be actuated by means of a two-ended push button 39 projecting from the casing. The shell 35 may be connected with the said band 23 by means of a wire id disposed within the casing i2 and extending along the length thereof and having an end portion iii soldered to said band. It will be noted that the dry cells 83 are mounted within the casing E2 in tandem and are urged by means of a coil spring 52 extending between said end wall 99 and the adjacent cell it toward the terminal piece 31. The fiashlamp M3 is adapted to be attached to the screw shell 35 in the manner of an ordinary electric lamp. Said flashlamp M, as is well known in the art, is provided with material adapted, when a filament therein receives current, to burn rapidly with extremely bright light suitable for taking flashlight pictures. The. lamp may only be used once since the material therein burns out and the glass of the bulb usually cracks or breaks.

When the snap switch 38 is closed, the filament in the'bulb will not be energized since the terminal pieces 26 and 29 are insulated from one another, as fully described hereinafter. The circuit passes from the terminal piece 29 through the screw threaded member 24 to the screw threaded member I 9, then through the coil spring 62 to the casing of the first battery til, then through the batteries, to the terminal piece 31, the switch 38 and the central contact36 of the shell; then through the lamp to the wire 40 and to the hand 29 and terminal member 26.

Means is provided for energizing the fiashlamp simultaneously with the actuation of the shutter i i. To this end, there is mounted on the annular shutter frame or housing 50, a switch member 5! now to be described. Said member 5l comprises a tubular casing 52 made of insulating material and having outer threaded portions 53 and 54 adjacent the ends thereof. Screwed to the end 53 is a metal cap member 54a having an end wall 541) formed with an axial projection 55 extending outwardly therefrom and formed with an outer thread 56. The threaded portion 56 is adapted to be screwed to the usual internally threaded opening 5'! in the shutter frame 50.

In cameras of the kodak type for example, the

shutter frame is provided with a screw threaded opening 51 for receiving the screw threaded end 58 of the usual flexible plunger 59 for actuating the shutter mechanism. The plunger 59 may be of ordinary construction, and comprises an outer tubular flexible casing 69 and a flexible plunger rod or wire 6|, slidably mounted therein. The rod 6| extends from the end 62 of the tubular casing and is provided with a head 63. In accordance with the present invention however, a metal cap 65 is screwed to the screw threaded portion 59 of said insulated tube 52, said cap 65 having an end wall 66 from which there projects an outwardly extending internally threaded portion 67 for receiving the screwthreaded end 58 of the plunger.

Extending from said end wall 66 toward said cap member 56a is an axial sleeve iii provided with a pair of diametrically disposed longitudinal slots H and i2. Slidably mounted within said sleeve 79 is a rod l6 adapted to project through an anal opening l5 formed in said projection 55. Fixed to the end of the rod l t adjacent the end wall 56 is a metallic circular ring 716 attached to said red by means of spokes ll extending through said slots ill and W2. A small coil compression spring is housed within the sleeve i9 is interposed between said spokes ll and the end wall 54?) of cap 5 la.

- It will now be understood that upon pressing the plunger head 63, the plunger rod or wire M will move the rod 7 3 audits annular ring 15 toward the right, looking at 'Fig. 3, for compressing the spring 38. The free end of the rod M is adapted to actuate the 'shutter mechanism in the same manner as the plunger rod or wire 63. A ring 86 may be fixed to the interior of the tubular casing 52 by means of a terminal screw 8!. A wire 32 may connect the terminal screw 8i with the terminal member 26. A terminal screw 83 screwed to the cap 5% may be connected by wire 96 to the other terminal member 29.

As will now be clear, upon actuating the plunger mechanism 59, the circuit for the flashlamp will be closed when the ring 16 contacts the ring 89, since the wire 82 connected to the terminal member 26 will then be electrically connected through said rings and through the rod M and cap 54a to the other wire 8Q which is connected to the other terminal member 29.

The fiashlamp B 3 and the shutter ll may be actuated simultaneously and positively by merely pressing the plunger 63. The switch 38 acts as a safety switch to prevent flashing of the lamp until the parts are all set up. The wires 82 and 84 may readily be housed within the camera. The switching member 5| may easily be removed from the camera and the wires 82 and 85 likewise detached. from the fixed terminals 26 and 29.

It will be understood that the time of actuation of the switch-with respect to the time of actuation of the shutter may be adjusted or synchronized by screwing the cap 54a with respect to the screw threaded portion 53 of the tubular insulating housing 52. By properly ad- 0 I4 is provided with a suitable reflector preferably made of paper, cardboard or the like flexible sheet material. Said member 90 may be formed from a single blank and comprises a central square section 9! formed with a central opening 92 for receiving the base of the lamp it therethrough. Extending from said central section M are preferably four wings 95, each having a rectangular section 96 and a pair of triangular shaped flaps 91 and 98 extending from the sides of said section 96. The wings may preferably be folded about a creased line 99 and the flaps 97, 98 folded about creased lines 91a, 98a respectively. Each of the flaps 91 is preferably formed with a slit I00 extending from the outer edge IM thereof, and the flap 98 formed with a slit )2 extending from a side edge I03 thereof. The slits I00 and E02 are so formed as to permit adjacent pairs of flaps 9i and 98 to be interlocked or interhooked as shown in Figs. 1 and '1. With this construction, the reflector may be folded to assume a cup'shape for directing the rays of light from the flashlamp forwardly. The inner side of the member 90 is preferably formed with a suitable reflecting surface by painting, spraying or attaching a sheet of foil thereto or any other suitable manner.

It will now be understood that the slitted portions of the flaps 91, 98 may be unhooked and the member 90 then folded into generally prismatic shape for bringing the sections 96 at right angles to the section 9|, and bringingthe flaps 91 and 98 extending from one section 96 into superimposed position against the adjacent sections 96. The folded reflector with the lamp mounted therein may then be inserted into a usual four sided tubular paper or cardboard shipping container l| preferably provided with a corrugated inner lining l I l for retaining the folded reflector and the lamp against sliding move ment. The containers I In with the reflectors and lamps therein may be packed in cases and shipped and stored. For using the lamp, it is merely necessary to remove the reflector with the lamp from the container, the reflector then being unfolded and interhooked as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. After the lamp has been used, the bulb thereof usually cracks and the reflector then serves as suitable means for wrapping and holding the lamp and to prevent bits of the glass bulb from being scattered.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a camera having a side wall and a lens shutter mechanism, said side wall having an opening, a casing having a projection at one end extendingthrough said opening, abattery within said casing, a screw threaded shell -mounted on said casing, an electric flash lamp shutter mechanism and a side wall formed with an opening, an internally screw threaded metallic member fixed within said opening, a casing hav ing an end wall formed with a screw threaded projection screwed within said internally screw threaded opening, an insulating member attached to said screw threaded projection and having a metallic contact portion thereon, a metallic spring contact attached to said side wall and adapted to contact said portion, a battery within said casing, a receptacle for a' lamp mounted on said casing, a switch mounted on said shutter mechanism and having a pair of terminals, one of said terminals being interconnected by a conductor to said spring contact and the other terminal being connected by a conductor to said internally screw threaded member, and means for interconnecting said internally screw threaded member and portion in circuit with said battery and receptacle.

3. In combination with a camera having a shutter mechanism and a side wall formed with an opening, an internally screw threaded metallic member fixed within said opening, a casing having an end wall formed with a screw threaded projection screwed within said internally screw threaded opening, an insulating member attached to said screw threaded projection and having a metallic contact portion thereon, a metallic spring contact attached to said side wall and adapted to contact said portion, a battery within said casing, a receptacle for a lamp mounted on said casing, a switch mounted on said shutter mechanism and having a pair of terminals, one of said terminals being interconnected by a conductor to said spring contact and the other terminal being connected by a conductor to said internally screw threaded member, means for interconnecting said internally screw threaded member and portion in circuit with said battery and receptacle, and means for simultaneously closing said switch and actuating said shutter mechanism.

4. In combination, a camera having a shutter therein, a pair of terminals attached to the wall of said camera, a casing demountably attached to said wall, and having a pair of terminals adapted to automatically engage said first mentioned pair of terminals upon attaching said casing to said wall, a battery within said casing, a screw shell mounted within said casing, means for electrically interconnecting said battery and shell to said second pair of terminals, a photographic flash-lamp bulb having a base screwed to said shell, 9. switch mounted on said camera shutter, means for simultaneously closing said switch and actuating said shutter, and a pair of wires interconnecting the terminals of said switch with said first mentioned pair of terminals.

MORRIS SCHWARTZ. 

